Transitioning from High school to college is one of the most important transitions of

childhood to adulthood. Some things will appear similar, but there will be many clear cut

differences a young adult will experience.

First, when it comes to the cost of college, it is more expensive than high school

because of the tuition, living expenses, and books. Any student who attends college must pay

the high fees. College tuition for a year can be in the ball park of $26,250. (Retrieved from

Post University). In contrast, the government funds high schools, so there is no cost to the

students. On top of the college tuition some students must live off of campus. As a result the

student must rent an apartment close to the college they are attending. Rent can cost anywhere

from $600.00-1,200.00 a month. (Retrieved from Post University). In contrast, high school

students do not have living expenses, because most students live at home with their parents.

College is more costly when students have to purchase text books. Textbooks can become

very costly, they can cost annually anywhere from $1,000.00-1,500.00. (Retrieved from Post

University). In contrast high school students are not required to purchase textbooks, the

school provides every student with the books they need.

Second the heavy workload in college classes are more demanding than the workload

in high school. College students are often assigned four to five assignments weekly, in

contrast, high school students are usually assigned one to three per week. In college,

assignments are more challenging and take far more time to complete. In contrast, high

school assignments can be finished in a student’s free time, or in school at study hall, and it

takes much less time to do them. Morgan.J, 2014 “The Her Campus Guide to College Life”

Students are expected to arrive in a college class already having studied the material, so that

more information can be covered every semester. In contrast, this does not happen in an

ordinary high school setting, the teachers present and teach the material. In college it is a

student’s choice to arrange their schedule with an advisor, in contrast a high school students

schedule is arranged for them. In college, grades on tests and major papers provide most of
the course grade. In contrast, in high school, consistently good homework grades will raise

the overall grade when test grades are low. (Retrieved from Southern Methodist University)

Third, college provides more activities, social events, and most importantly

independence. For example Harvard provides over four hundred student organizations, such

as orchestra, chamber music ensemble, jazz combo, concert band, choral group, gospel choir,

or glee club. In contrast high school does not provide such a wide range of organizations for

students. High schools generally have smaller groups because the population is generally

smaller. In college there is something to do for everyone, in contrast high school does not

always have something for every student’s interests. In college a student must decide

whether to participate in extracurricular activities. In contrast in high school a student must

get permission to participate in extracurricular activities. (Retrieved from Harvard College)

In conclusion, without a doubt when college and high school are compared, and

contrasted on the foundation of financial, academic, and social aspects it is indisputable that

college is more costly, more academically challenging, and more socially invigorating than the

high school environment.